[sdiy] Another new hard to find part....

[Scott Gravenhorst]

One big problem I have with Linux is that the support for video systems is
sparse compared to M$.  I have 3 boxes that I use as Linux servers, but they
won't support the GUI in anything more than the basic SVGA mode, which denies me
the full resolution of the video cards.  Three other boxes I have run Windows,
and again the video systems aren't supported in full if I wanted to run Linux. 
To run Linux with the GUI, I'd yet again have to go out and buy either another
box, or at least another video system.  What's the point of the free software
when I can't use it on the 6 freaking computers I already own?

I also don't want to tink around with a kernel that I am not qualified to tink
with and could likely break it.

As long as I can build analog DIY things, that is better for me than to upgrade
what computers I have to run software that I can't modify and therefore am stuck
with what others have written and what others believe are good features.  With
hardware bits and pieces, I can build whatever I want and need.

And this doesn't touch on the fact that all softsynths depend on the mouse and
virtual controls which I find cheesey, quite frankly.  There is something to be
said for the tactile nature of a knob.

"Roy J. Tellason" <rtellason at blazenet.net> wrote:
>On Wednesday 07 July 2004 12:37 pm, Scott Gravenhorst wrote:
>> Richard Wentk <richard at skydancer.com> wrote:
>> >At 17:35 07/07/2004 +0200, Ingo Debus wrote:
>> >>Am Dienstag, 06.07.04 um 19:08 Uhr schrieb Richard Wentk:
>> >
>> >Meanwhile if there were a DIY open source softsynth - something like
>> > Csound but with a more intelligent internal design and better interface -
>> > a project like that would run and run. Csound is already 25+ years old.
>
>> Good question.  The infinite "if".  As you say, Csound is 25+ years old.
>> Where is this utopian open source software? 
>
>Your references further along to windoze and m$ lead me to believe that you 
>haven't looked...
>
>> The possibility has been here for 25 years.  Why isn't it being done in a
>> DIY realm?  Every free softsynth I've tried has sucked for one reason or
>> another.
>
>> Personally, I think that these things need to start from scratch with an
>> operating system that is specifically designed for music generation in real
>> time.  Windows is a piece of sh!t.
>
>You'll certainly get no argument from me on that!
>
>> Linux is good, but also a general purpose OS.
>
>So?  It's also quite adaptable to specific uses.
>
>> This doesn't even touch on the fact that all of this runs on a general
>> purpose CPU, not one designed to function as a synth.
>
>What are you looking for,  an OS that runs on a DSP?
>
>> So I'm back making circuits that do music and don't crash and need a reboot
>> because of some stupid memory leak, poorly written driver or any of the
>> other tens of thousands of bugs in every version of Windoze that Microsoft
>> admits to and declares no intention of fixing.
>
>I have *one* box here that runs m$,  and that's only 98,  and it's mostly used 
>by my grandkids to play games on,  and not much else.
>
>I'm typing this on a linux workstation,  which has the "mail folders" living 
>on a server.  I'm still getting things together with regard to nfs and 
>networking in general.  Your post comes to me (and my reply to you goes out) 
>through yet another linux box,  that one being my firewall/router,  that I 
>built out of an old 386dx40!  And it all words just fine,  and transparently.
>
>If your concern is bloat,  then there are lightweight versions of things like 
>window managers and such out there.
>
>If your concern is too much junk in the OS,  then leave out what you don't 
>want/need,  but be prepared to spend a little time understanding what you're 
>doing,  and don't expect to accomplish this with distros that hold your hand 
>and use package managers.
>
>If your concern is realtime response,  there are enhancements to the basic 
>kernel that accomodate this need -- they're in use right now as a way of 
>running CNC machines,  which require some fairly good realtime response, a 
>"crash" on one of those (or missed steps,  or whatever) can have consequences 
>a whole lot worse than something sounding bad!
>
>Log on to freshmeat.net sometime.  If you register you'll then have the 
>ability to tell it to ignore stuff that doesn't interst you.  Check in from 
>day to day,  and see what all is going on -- it's a LOT,  actually.
>
>
>
>
>
>

---------------------------------------------------------
- Where merit is not rewarded, excellence fades.
- Hydrogen is pointless without solar.
- What good are laws that only lawyers understand?
- The media's credibility should always be questioned.
- The only good terrorist is a dead terrorist.
- Governments do nothing well, save collect taxes.

-- Scott Gravenhorst | LegoManiac / Lego Trains / RIS 1.5
-- Linux Rex         | RedWebMail by RedStarWare
-- FatMan: home1.gte.net/res0658s/FatMan/
-- NonFatMan: home1.gte.net/res0658s/electronics/
-- Autodidactic Master of Arcane and Hidden Knowledge.